Amalgamator.



W. W. DILL.

AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION msn ocr. za, 1916.

Patented June 19, 1917.

Il Il l" WILLIAM W. DILL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTN.

AMALGAMATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 19, 1917..

Application led etober 23, 1916. Serial No. 127,253.

To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, lVILLrAM WV. DILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of llfashington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amalgamators of the class used in separatingprecious metals from their ores. lts object is to render the process ofseparation thorough and expeditious and to economize manual labor. Tothis end, my invention consists in the con` struction and combination ofparts forming an amalgamator hereinafter more fully described, andparticularly stated in the claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, in whichH Figure 1, represents a longitudinal,vertical section at line m, a', Fig. 2, of an amalgamator according tomy invention.

Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of the same.

Fig. 8, shows a transverse vertical section at line y, y, Fig. 1.

Numeral 4t represents a hydraulic table or sluice box mounted on legs 5,at an incline down which the slush of water and pulverized ore will runby gravity. A series of crossbars 6, called a mining riiiie, are locatedacross the bed of the table near the head. The remainder of the table iscovered with a sheet of copper 7, which extends beyond the lower end 8,and depends therefrom slanting back at an acute angle under the saidend, its lower edge 9, being directly over the trough 10. This trough islocated below and a little back of the delivery end 8, so that anythingfalling freely or running from the end S, will pass over the trough andnot be caught by it. The trough slants to deliver to one side at 11,into anyy suitable receptacle. A series of crossbars 12, rest removablyin notches in the sides 13, of the table, and cach crossbar carries aseries of plates 14, preferably of copper silver plated, depending tothe table plate 7, for gathering metal. These gathering plates arelocated with spaces of about their own width between them upon each bar12, and the plates on adjacent bars alternate so as to locate the platesof one bar opposite the spaces between the plates of the next bar inlines along the table.

The ends of the plates 14, come in Contact with the table plate 7, onlines 15, preferably oblique te the line of the table; those finestcondition practicable.

on one bar slantingV to the right and those on the next bar slanting tothe left. A hamperboard 16, is hung to swing on trunnions 17, in thesides 13, of the table. This amalgamator is adapted for service inquartz milling, in mining dredging and in hydraulic placer mining. Theore is first to be crushed and'pulverized by any suitable means to theThe mercury or amalgamating compound is applied by throwing it againstthe front faces of the gathering plates 14; its chemical aiiinity forthe copper and silver causing it to adhere and spread over them.

Enough mercury is applied to run down upon the table plate 7, and coverit. The pulverized ore is to be mixed with water forming slush that isdelivered onto the riflle 6, by any usual means, such as a flume runningto the head of the table. The bars of the riiile stop such particles ofmetal as are too heavy to flow over them suspended in the water as theslush moves down the incline of the table.

In its progress, the slush comes in contact with the gathering plates14, which present their whole immersed surfaces to catch the fineparticles of metal which iiow against them. At the same time, theoblique ends 15 steer the slush from side to side crosswise of the tableso that the entire surface of the plate 7 is employed in gathering theparticles of metal that sink to the bottom of the moving, slush. Whenthe mercury becomes loaded with metal it forms into the little globulespeculiar to mercury and is readily carried by gravity and the frictionof the moving slush upon it down the incline, and its native adhesion tothe copper plate causes it to follow the under hang thereof until theaccumulation drops from the edge 9, into the trough 10, while the siltand other refuse mattei' iiow off from the end 8, and drop beyond thetrough l0, as waste matter. The plates 14, have enough uphill slant toprevent their being swung free from the plate 7, by the current ofslush. The gathering plates 14, hung alternately as described wouldstill present their surfaces to the flowing slush to gather the metalthat is in suspension above the bed plate if their ends were not bentobliquely as at 15, but were left in plane to meet the bed plate 7, inlines square across it, yet that form would impede the desired rapidflow of slush which produces the best results. The

hamper-board 16 backs up the top current of the slush to some extent andforces it into contact with the table in a'linal eortftofV bring all thefine metal in contact with the mercury for amalgamation. When the plates14 become loaded with amalgam theyl may be removed from the table Vandthe amalgam be gathered from` tliemand :from the table plate 7, by usualmeans. The

`described means fforV bringingi4 then slushl w-hilefin fairly yrapidlow5 to/.come in contact with a greatdeal: of surface covered' withmercury accomplishes. the i'rst two. points of my statedobjectythoroughness .and

1. A slantingf copper-faced amalgamatingfvr table; obstructing-plateshungwith spaces V between them in successive lines across over thetable, the plates of each line being located opposite the spaces betweenthe plates of the adjacent line, the whole width of the lower portion ofeach plate o one line slanting obliquely to the right along the table,and the corresponding portion of eachk plate of thefnext 'lineslantingobliquely to the left.

2. In an amalgamator, a slanting, copperfaced table; a seriesvof 1plates depending upon the table'ini successive lines across it,

the linexo-:contact of=thewhble*width of' eachl plate wi-th; the,table.y slanting obliquely to the .line :of 'the table7V the slant of'one line of plates sbei'ngto tlieriight and of fthe next line totheyleLEt."

f In'testiunony whereof l 4fallin any signature in presencefof twolwitnesses;

W'ILLIAM iW. DELL; Witnesses On: Bi l-l-ERGERT,I HL; D.' Bramy Copies`of; thspatentf-may be obtained for `five cents eachgby addressingftheuf-VGommssionerof Patentsy Washingtomelllc.

